Looking For a Straight Forward Guide on how to Install CWM, and custom ROMs

Excuse my ignorance, as i'm very new to this. I want a straight forward guide on how i can install CWM, so i can install custom ROMs, etc etc. I've been reading up and i'm not sure what i want to do.

And what ROMs could you recommend for someone who wants something that's fast, and reliable. My phone current is stock, rooted, and i constantly have issues with it running very slowly, apps crashing (Go SMS). I just want something simple, and stable, while retaining most features (Data, calling, SMS, and the Market).